Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 361 Okay, I believe you.
Jiang Tiantian held the wine bowl with both hands and brought it to her lips, taking a careful sip. Her facial features immediately scrunched up.

It tastes awful. Why do men love to drink alcohol?

Chen Fan had just put down his wine bowl when he saw her expression and couldn't help but blink, asking, "You can't drink?"

Jiang Tiantian smiled shyly and looked at him, saying, "I've never had this before."

Chen Fan was speechless. "Why are you drinking if you haven't tried it before?"

He reached for the wine bowl in her hand.

Jiang Tiantian protected the wine bowl with her hand and said seriously, "You've come all this way to Yunhu, how can you let yourself drink alone in silence?"

Chen Fan was both amused and exasperated. "But you don't drink alcohol."

Jiang Tiantian's face was flushed, and she said stubbornly, "I didn't drink much, just a small half bowl, it's fine."

Chen Fan was helpless. Looking at Jiang Tiantian's determined eyes, he suddenly shook his head and smiled, "I used to think that you and Lili had different personalities, but I realized today that you two sisters are actually very similar."

Seeing that he stopped trying to take it, Jiang Tiantian put the wine bowl on the table and asked curiously, "Why do you say that?"

Chen Fan looked at her and said, "You may look gentle and weak, but you are actually very strong-willed. Look at you, you can't drink, but you still insist on drinking."

Jiang Tiantian's expression changed slightly. She ignored Chen Fan's teasing and her eyes were full of worry. "Has something happened to Lili?"

Chen Fan quickly waved his hand, "No, no, don't think nonsense."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Last month was the double harvest season, and after a while, some members couldn't take it and had to take a day off to recover. But Lili never took a day off. She went to work whenever others did, and she always came back later than earlier. She exhausted herself every day. Isn't that being strong-willed?"

Jiang Tiantian's face immediately darkened. A few seconds later, she suddenly picked up her wine bowl and took a sip, seemingly swallowing the bitterness mixed with the wine. Then she exhaled a long breath, looked at the street scene outside the window, and said softly, "How can people like us survive if we don't strive?"

Chen Fan pursed his lips, unsure how to respond.

After a few seconds, Jiang Tiantian slowly lowered her head, picked up her wine bowl again, and murmured, "But, that's not what she said in the letter she wrote to me."

Seeing that she was about to drink again, Chen Fan quickly stopped her, "Wait, wait, that's not how you drink alcohol."

He carefully took the wine bowl from Jiang Tiantian's hand, then placed a piece of food on her plate. "Eat something first. Take a sip of wine and a bite of food, that way you won't get drunk."

Hey, let me tell you, you really shouldn't drink anymore, especially when you're eating with other people. What if you get drunk and something dangerous happens?

Jiang Tiantian turned to look at him, a smile gradually spreading across her face. "Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. I never eat out with other people, and I certainly don't drink alcohol."

Chen Fan kept repeating, "This isn't a matter of being stupid or not; it's a matter of being careful and cautious. You must remember that."

He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and laughed, "Look, like me, you sip a little bit at a time, drink slowly, that way you won't get drunk easily. You drink in big gulps, especially when you're in a bad mood, that's when you're most likely to get drunk."

Seeing his response, Jiang Tiantian nodded gently, "Okay, then I won't drink it."

She was indeed a little dizzy, but more importantly, Chen Fan seemed less depressed than before, so she had achieved her goal and decided not to drink anymore.

Seeing that she listened to his advice, Chen Fan took her wine bowl, poured the remaining wine into his own bowl, and said with a smile, "That's right. If you really want to drink, you can drink as much as you want at home behind closed doors, and then go to sleep. It's better not to touch alcohol outside."

When Jiang Tiantian saw him pour the wine she had drunk, she immediately felt her face burning.

However, her face was already covered with a blush, and no one knew whether she was blushing because she had drunk alcohol or because she was shy.

Chen Fan took another sip and smiled, "Don't worry too much, I'm here. I've prepared medicinal baths, medicinal teas, and medicinal meals for them. A medicinal bath every day can relax muscles and relieve fatigue, medicinal meals can replenish energy, and medicinal teas can clear heat and reduce internal fire, ensuring they won't easily get heatstroke."

So, although she was a bit tired, her health was pretty good, and after the double harvest season, she seemed to have much more energy. Especially now, the other members of the production team praised her highly; compared to before, it was a world of difference.

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian couldn't help but smile. "Lili didn't mention this in the letter she wrote to me. If it were true, she would definitely have told me about such a good thing."

Chen Fan coughed lightly and said in a serious tone, "That's because she doesn't know that people don't praise others to their faces, they praise them behind their backs."

Jiang Tiantian burst out laughing. "Okay, okay, I believe you."

The two ate and chatted, laughing and talking, and Chen Fan unknowingly finished a bottle of wine.

The depression I felt earlier has not only completely dissipated, but I also feel quite cheerful.

After finishing his meal, Chen Fan carried his bag and went out, accompanied by Jiang Tiantian, heading straight for the Education Department.

After boarding the bus and finding seats, Chen Fan looked at her and said, "Want to come along?"

Jiang Tiantian turned to look at him, "Huh?"

I didn't expect that just a few sips of alcohol would make me feel dizzy. I will never drink alcohol again.

Chen Fan laughed, "A correspondence university? I don't have a high school diploma, so I need to pass an entrance exam to be admitted. You, on the other hand, graduated from a vocational high school. You can apply with your diploma. Why not give it a try?"

Jiang Tiantian then understood what Chen Fan was talking about. She immediately turned her face away, let out a long sigh, and said with a bitter face, "I have been out of school for more than three years. In these three years, I have not touched those textbooks again. I have forgotten all the knowledge I had before. Even if I can enroll, I am afraid I will not be able to learn the knowledge or pass the exam."

"If you forget, just learn it again."

Chen Fan said nonchalantly, "Think about Lili. She hasn't touched a textbook for more than three years. Last time I brought back a set of self-study books for math, physics and chemistry. She quickly got the hang of it in just one month. Now she can understand the later knowledge on her own without me teaching her."

She told me that your grades were better than hers back then. Since even she was able to pick up her books again, you definitely won't have any problem.

Besides, if you find science subjects too difficult, you can study humanities. Humanities don't test physics and chemistry; apart from math, the rest is mostly rote memorization…

At this point, he turned to look at Jiang Tiantian, "Hey, Lili told me that her dream is to become a fashion designer. What about you? What is your dream?"

Jiang Tiantian lowered her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Did her sister even tell him this?
While pondering, Jiang Tiantian said softly, "What ideals do I have? If I had to say I have any, it would simply be that my family can live together peacefully and happily."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but click his tongue, "Not telling the truth."

As he spoke, he turned to look around, "There are only the two of us in this car besides the driver, and we're so far away from the driver, are you worried he'll hear us?"

Jiang Tiantian raised her head and forced a smile, saying, "Really, this is my biggest dream."

Chen Fan turned to look at her and chuckled softly, “I believe this is your greatest dream, and it will definitely come true. However, a woman of exceptional talent must have extraordinary ambitions. If you say you have no personal career aspirations, then pretend I never asked.”

Jiang Tiantian stared at him blankly for several seconds before quickly turning her head and looking down. After another two or three seconds, she murmured, "A long time ago, my dream was to become a writer, to have my words printed in newspapers and magazines, so that everyone could see them."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I knew I wasn't wrong, you are indeed an artistic girl."

Jiang Tiantian unconsciously wrinkled her nose and turned to look at him. "Artsy girl? Where did you get the idea that I'm an artsy girl?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "You can tell from their temperament, their eyes, everything."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, Lili is pretty much the same. Although she usually keeps her head down and doesn't like to talk to people, I can see a light deep in her eyes—the light of longing. You're the same."

He looked at Jiang Tiantian and smiled, "When I came to find you just now, you were in a daze, but there was a light in your eyes. Were you thinking about your article being published?"

"Where is it?"

Jiang Tiantian immediately blushed, "I didn't think of anything, you're just making it up."

He suddenly burst out laughing, "Hehe, no wonder you became a writer, do you always like to think like this?" "Oh dear, you've even learned to turn the tables on me."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, having just made a sarcastic remark, but seeing Jiang Tiantian's face turn bright red, he dared not continue teasing her. He then coughed and said seriously, "Seriously, even if it's not for a diploma, I think you should pick up your textbooks again."

Since you're interested in literature, go for humanities. Whether you succeed or not, consider it giving yourself an explanation, so you won't regret it later.

However, you can't just read books on literature. Literary creation must be centered on the people, so you can't neglect political textbooks. In addition, you should also pick up history and geography, which can broaden your horizons and benefit your creation.

Finally, there's English…

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiantian, who had been nodding slowly just moments before, suddenly looked at him with surprise, "English?"

Looking at the pretty face just inches away, Chen Fan smiled and said, "That's right, it's English. Many foreign literary works are in English. If you have the opportunity, you can read more about foreign literature. On the one hand, you can learn from it, and on the other hand, you can broaden your horizons."

Don't think that reading English books is anything special. Shanghai and the capital have dedicated foreign language bookstores, which are open to the whole country. Similarly, in the field of science and technology, we import so much advanced equipment from abroad every year, and we also need people proficient in foreign languages ​​to translate related technical documents.

"If technical subjects are acceptable, why can't literary subjects? Besides, Lili is studying diligently every day; as the older sister, you can't fall behind your younger sister."

He recalled that the college entrance examination at the end of this year consisted of three main subjects for humanities students: Chinese, mathematics, and politics. The elective subjects were history and geography, which were combined into one exam, somewhat like the comprehensive humanities exam of later generations. For science students, the subjects were physics and chemistry. There was also an additional foreign language exam, in which students could choose between Russian and English.

If Jiang Tiantian has the perseverance, she can start studying now and there are still 4 months until the exam in December. She might be able to get into a good university.

It's unclear whether Jiang Tiantian was moved by Chen Fan's words, but she looked up at Chen Fan and nodded vigorously, "Okay, I'll learn."

She paused for a moment, then pursed her lips and said shyly, "But I haven't studied in a long time, and I don't know where to start. Could you give me some advice?"

Chen Fan immediately laughed and said, "It's no big deal. I'll write you a study plan later. As long as you follow the plan, I guarantee you'll catch up with Lili soon. At that time, you'll still be the older sister and she'll still be the younger sister."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiantian burst out laughing and giggled incessantly.

The driver, in his fifties, gripped the steering wheel and continued to dart past an empty bus stop. He glanced at the two people sitting properly in a row in the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly, "Youth is truly wonderful."

……

Twenty minutes later, the bus came to a stop at the bus stop, and the driver called out, "We've arrived at the Education Bureau."

Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian immediately got out of the car, and he waved and said, "Thank you, driver."

Jumping off the platform, watching the bus drive away behind him, Chen Fan looked at both sides of the road, "Which building is the Education Bureau's building?"

These days, houses all look pretty much the same. Government offices and businesses are all small buildings, some with yards and some without. If you don't look at the signs, you can't tell the difference at all.

But their signs were all small, just a sign hanging at the entrance, nothing like the large, impressive characters of later generations.

Jiang Tiantian also looked around, "I've never been here before, let's look around."

Chen Fan pointed ahead, "This way."

Jiang Tiantian didn't pay much attention at first, but after walking a short distance, she saw a plaque with the name of the Yunhu District Education Bureau hanging at the entrance of a courtyard and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "How did you know it was here?"

Chen Fan turned around, pointed to the bus stop sign across the street, and laughed, "See that? The bus stop sign is over there. Since it's named after the Education Department, the Education Department must be located between the two bus stops."

Jiang Tiantian opened her eyes wide and asked curiously, "Is this a deduction?"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head, "No, it's mathematics."

Just as Jiang Tiantian was filled with amazement, Chen Fan suddenly burst into laughter, "If we can't see it from the direction we came from, then it must be up ahead. Or it must be on the other side."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiantian's face fell, and she looked at him speechlessly.

Seeing that her expression was off, Chen Fan immediately turned around and walked quickly towards the gatekeeper. Jiang Tiantian watched his retreating figure, couldn't help but pout, and then burst out laughing.

When they arrived, Chen Fan, as usual, took out a cigarette to clear the way. "Master, could you please ask me something?"

The old gatekeeper stood at the door without coming out. He took the cigarette, looked at him, and asked, "What is it?"

Chen Fan smiled and asked, "Where is the correspondence course center of Jiangnan University in Yunhu? Or, who can I ask for the address?"

The old man looked him up and down. "You've registered?"

Chen Fan quickly nodded, "Yes."

The old man spread his hands wide, "Letter of introduction."

Is this the right place?
Chen Fan was secretly delighted. He quickly took off his backpack, took out the letter of introduction, and handed it over, saying, "I am a broadcaster from Lujiawan Production Brigade of Nanhu Commune in Gufeng County. I only learned a couple of days ago that Jiangnan University has a correspondence course point in Yunhu, so I thought I would like to come and give it a try."

Don't underestimate the security guards at this time of year; they are official civil servants with permanent positions, especially for elderly people. If you don't follow the rules, even the leaders might not give you face. Some long-serving senior employees even have to be treated politely by their own superiors, so it's definitely the right thing to do to be respectful.

Hearing Chen Fan's words and taking the letter of introduction, the old man's expression quickly became kind. "So you're from the production team down below, and you're a broadcaster. It seems you're an advanced member in the production team."

Chen Fan smiled shyly and said, "No, no, every member of our production team is excellent; they just have different roles."

The old man was very satisfied with Chen Fan's words. While returning the letter of introduction, he said, "I love to hear this. Mr. Zhou said that there is no distinction between noble and lowly labor, only different divisions of labor. Your attitude is very good."

He then pointed to the small building inside, "Hey, go in on the first floor, turn left, and that's the office at the very back. There's a sign on the door. Go on."

Chen Fan carefully put away the letter of introduction and offered her a cigarette. "Thank you. We'll go in now."

The old man waved his hand, glanced at Jiang Tiantian following behind, and without even asking, said, "Go in, go in."

The two entered the courtyard, crossed the open space, and entered the gate of the small building. Inside, there was a corridor in the middle and a row of rooms on both sides, which was a typical tenement building layout.

There are two types of tenement buildings. One type is the enclosed type, with windows at both ends of the central corridor for ventilation and rooms on both sides. The corridor is like a tube, hence the name.

Because this type of house originated in the Soviet Union, it is also known as the Khorushov House, and this architectural style can still be seen in the new century.

Another type is the open type, which is generally used for dormitories. Qiang Ge's house in Crazy is the most typical dormitory building.

Chen Fan glanced at it casually, then turned left, with Jiang Tiantian following closely behind him.

After a short while, Chen Fan walked to the innermost part and saw a very long office. A wooden sign was nailed to the door with the words "Jiangnan University Correspondence Education Point in Yunhu Area" written on a white background with black paint.

He glanced back at Jiang Tiantian, smiled slightly, and then raised his hand to knock on the door.

dong dong dong.

After waiting a few seconds, no one responded.

Knock again.

Still no one?

Just as Chen Fan was wondering what was going on, Jiang Tiantian's expression suddenly changed, and she said with a look of realization, "Ah, 12 noon to 2 pm is lunch break time, and it's not even 2 pm yet, so there's no one here."

(End of this chapter)